MAGMATIC AND METAMORPHIC EVENTS RECOGNIZED WITHIN SOUTHWESTERN SVALBARD’S CRYSTALLINE BASEMENT – A REVIEW

Southwestern Svalbard reveals a composite structure and comprises several tectonic units juxtaposed by major strike-slip and thrust zones of early Paleozoic (perhaps also Neoproterozoic) to Cenozoic age. This complex crystalline basement consists of felsic and mafic magmatic units of various affinities, dated to Ectasian-Stenian, Tonian and Cryogenian-Ediacaran, and metasedimentary successions deposited during Mesoproterozoic, Neoproterozoic and early Paleozoic. Many of these units experienced at least one, commonly two metamorphic overprints. These include the Torellian (c. 640 Ma), Caledonian and recently discovered, in this part of the Arctic, Ellesmerian (c. 360 Ma) events. Metamorphic grade varies from greenschist through amphibolite to blueschist and eclogite facies conditions.

The aforementioned crustal puzzle pieces share some common features, though plenty of possible links between them remain enigmatic. More structural works followed by petrological and geochronological studies must be performed to fully understand the geological evolution of Southwestern Svalbard, thus this part of the High Arctic. This work was supported by the National Science Centre (Poland) through the “NAC” project no. 2015/17/B/ST10/03114.